Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Ethiopia Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Ethiopia

Name: Ethiopia
Address: ET

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,547 per month in Australia vs $776 in Ethiopia, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,678 per month in Australia vs $1,155 in Ethiopia, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,808 per month in Australia vs $1,534 in Ethiopia, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 228% higher than in Ethiopia on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 85% above the global median, while Ethiopia is 44% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.74 A$24.73

$3.93 ETB 632

351.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.9 A$121

$42.71 ETB 6,865

103.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.35 A$15.82

$6.55 ETB 1,052

73.28%

Cappuccino

$3.99 A$5.57

$0.87 ETB 139

358.62%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 A$4.14

$0.56 ETB 90.6

430.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 A$3.50

$0.56 ETB 89.7

348.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.75 A$10.80

$0.83 ETB 134

833.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.07 A$11.25

$2.04 ETB 327

295.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.46

$1.08 ETB 173

62.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 A$4.00

$0.97 ETB 156

195.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 A$3.31

$1.72 ETB 277

37.79%

Eggs

$5.11 A$7.13

$1.81 ETB 291

182.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.13 A$14.13

$7.55 ETB 1,213

34.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.57 A$13.35

$10.39 ETB 1,671

-7.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.59 A$21.74

$10.37 ETB 1,667

50.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.83 A$5.34

$4.49 ETB 721

-14.70%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.36

$0.73 ETB 117

328.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.67

$2.41 ETB 388

39.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.88 A$6.80

$0.67 ETB 108

628.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 A$4.07

$0.55 ETB 88.4

430.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.29

$1.40 ETB 226

68.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.43

$0.75 ETB 121

228.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 A$2.38

$0.62 ETB 99.5

174.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.46 A$55.0

$8.03 ETB 1,292

391.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.69 A$20.48

$5.23 ETB 841

180.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.07 A$7.07

$0.75 ETB 120

576.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 A$7.48

$1.48 ETB 238

262.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.84 A$3.96

$0.35 ETB 55.8

711.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.3 A$136

$17.38 ETB 2,794

459.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 A$4.96

$1.36 ETB 218

161.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 A$2.34

$0.29 ETB 47.23

479.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.94 A$57.1

$2.01 ETB 323

1936.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.88

$0.99 ETB 160

36.36%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.1K A$40.5K

$55.6K ETB 8.9M

-47.69%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$29.5K A$41.1K

$55.2K ETB 8.9M

-46.63%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$207 A$289

$145 ETB 23.3K

42.86%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$29.34 A$40.91

$9.42 ETB 1,515

211.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 A$83.7

$230 ETB 37.0K

-73.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.3 A$82.6

$43.94 ETB 7,063

34.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 A$28.27

$36.43 ETB 5,856

-44.33%

Cinema Ticket

$16.04 A$22.36

$4.92 ETB 791

226.02%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,194 A$3,059

$120 ETB 19.3K

1731.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K A$26.0K

$30.5K ETB 4.9M

-38.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.1 A$113

$36.02 ETB 5,789

125.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 A$79.3

$64.1 ETB 10.3K

-11.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 A$165

$76.6 ETB 12.3K

54.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 A$176

$86.1 ETB 13.8K

46.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 A$2,282

$648 ETB 104.1K

152.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,306 A$1,821

$348 ETB 56.0K

275.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,589 A$3,609

$1,826 ETB 293.6K

41.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 A$2,737

$709 ETB 114.0K

176.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,394 A$11.7K

$1,831 ETB 294.3K

358.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,140 A$8,560

$1,023 ETB 164.5K

499.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,067 A$5,670

$201 ETB 32.3K

1926.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

-65.12%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Australia: September 6, 2026

Last update for Ethiopia: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,426 in Australia vs $181 in Ethiopia. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,845 in Canberra and $703 in Addis Ababa.

Average salary: $3,945 in Australia vs $185 in Ethiopia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 688% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 254% more in Australia.

Public transport is 1500% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 2032% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Australia vs Ethiopia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ethiopia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 249% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Ethiopia, contributing to the overall 249% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Ethiopia, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Ethiopia is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.